Yo, Kid from the Hatake Clan

In the gloomy underground laboratory, Danzo's secret letter was held by a pale hand, hovering over the candlelight like a withered leaf.

"Oh? An Orochimaru from another world?"

The letter was burned to ash, which rustled as it fell to the floor.

The Orochimaru of this world sat on a stone chair, his tongue darting out to lick his lips, his golden snake-like pupils reflecting the flickering flames.

"Another version of myself has appeared in Konoha?"

He tilted his head, a low, rumbling laugh rolling from his throat like the sound of a snake rubbing its scales.

He had long since ceased to care about fame, but knowledge—the knowledge contained within the mind of another version of himself—made his spine itch with anticipation.

"Danzo, that old geezer, wrote something quite interesting in his letter. To think he actually knows the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave?"

He stood up, his long black hair cascading to his waist, swaying gently in the frigid air.

"It seems I must return to Konoha to see what kind of tricks that imposter is hiding."

A faint hissing sound echoed from the depths of the earth as the venomous snake, having lain dormant for years, bared its fangs in the shadows.

Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock.

"Who is it? Stop knocking."

Lin Zi rolled over, burying his face into his pillow.

Sleeping next to Minato's house felt good; it was quiet, at least, and the bed was far more comfortable than the rocks he had been lying on for the past few days.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Coming, coming!"

He climbed out of bed, grumbling, his black ponytail sticking up in a messy tangle. He pushed the door open, the blinding sunlight forcing him to squint.

Standing outside was Tsunade, arms crossed over her chest, looking impatient as if she had been waiting for a long time.

"Time to get up, Orochimaru." She lifted her foot, ready to barge inside. "We need to check on Kushina's condition today."

"You're a medical ninja, why do you have to drag me along?"

Lin Zi blocked her path with his shoulder and let out a yawn.

"I've already done everything that the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave can do. There's nothing left for me to handle."

"Enough talk."

Tsunade grabbed him by the collar and dragged him along.

"What if the Nine-Tails' malice inside Kushina flares up? How am I supposed to treat her without you? Move!"

Lin Zi was pulled along, stumbling behind her while still muttering under his breath.

"Tsunade... don't be so irritable..."

The two arrived at Minato's front door, and Tsunade kicked it open.

"Kushina! We're here!"

Inside, Kushina was sitting halfway up in bed. Her complexion looked better than yesterday, with a hint of color returning to her cheeks.

Minato sat by the bedside, holding a bowl of hot porridge. His spoon was suspended in mid-air, just about to reach her lips.

The moment the door was kicked open, both of them froze.

Kushina's face flushed bright red. She shrank her neck, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"Lady Tsunade... Lord Orochimaru... I'm so sorry..."

"What's there to be embarrassed about when you're just eating?"

Lin Zi waved his hand, walked straight into the room, dragged a chair from the corner, and sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"Go ahead and eat. We'll wait."

Tsunade sat down just as brazenly, completely ignoring the stares from Minato and Kushina, and even reached out to grab a peanut from the table to toss into her mouth.

Kushina looked at Tsunade, then at Lin Zi. Too embarrassed to let Minato feed her anymore, she reached out to take the bowl, lowered her head, and silently ate one spoonful at a time.

Minato held the empty spoon, stunned in mid-air, his expression visibly deflating.

"Alright, you kid."

Tsunade couldn't stand it anymore and slapped Minato on the back, sending him leaning forward.

"Go do your work; we'll take care of Kushina. A grown man hovering around like that just makes the girl too shy to eat."

Minato came to his senses, looked down at Kushina's crimson earlobes, then back at Tsunade and Lin Zi, and let out a helpless sigh.

He stood up, threw his Hokage Cloak over his shoulders, and fastened the ties in a flash.

"Then I leave her to you both."

He bowed to Tsunade, then looked at Lin Zi, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Lord Orochimaru, thank you for your hard work."

Before the words had even faded, he formed hand seals, his figure transforming into a streak of golden light that vanished from the spot with a "whoosh."

Lin Zi stared in the direction where the golden light had disappeared and clicked his tongue.

"No matter how many times I see it, I still think the Flying Thunder God is incredibly convenient."

"Indeed."

Tsunade nodded as well, leaning back.

"If only I could learn it, I wouldn't have to walk all the way to Tanzaku Town next time."

"You really are something, Tsunade..."

The two sat in the room, listening to the sound of Kushina sipping her porridge, the atmosphere becoming uncharacteristically quiet.

After Kushina finished her porridge, Tsunade sat by the bedside, pressing her right palm above Kushina's lower abdomen as pale green healing chakra seeped in like flowing water.

She closed her eyes, her brows knitting together slightly at first, only to smooth out after a few seconds.

"Phew."

Tsunade withdrew her hand, shook her wrist, and let out a sigh of relief.

"As expected of the vitality of the Uzumaki Clan; the recovery is truly fast. At this rate, in a few days, you'll be able to have Jiraiya and Minato help you reorganize the sealing jutsu."

Kushina's fingers, which had been clutching the bedsheets, relaxed, and her pale face visibly brightened.

"Really? That's wonderful!"

She looked down at her lower abdomen, resting her hand gently upon it, her voice softening.

"Actually, I could feel it myself... but hearing it confirmed by Lady Tsunade directly makes me feel much more at ease."

"What Tsunade says is generally never wrong."

A lazy voice drifted from the corner. Lin Zi had been staring blankly while leaning against the windowsill, but now he leaned out halfway, his golden slit pupils glancing over.

"Just focus on sticking to the treatment and getting plenty of rest; don't let your mind wander."

Kushina looked up at the pale figure standing in the sunlight, a grateful smile appearing in her eyes.

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru, thank you, Lady Tsunade. Really... thank you both so much."

"Alright, enough with the mushy stuff."

Tsunade waved her hand, stood up, and brushed the dust off her knees.

"That's it for today; I'll come by again tomorrow to consolidate the progress."

Lin Zi didn't say anything else. He straightened up, his black ponytail swaying behind him, and reached out to push the door open.

The light from the corridor flooded in, carving a sharp line of light and shadow across his face.

"I'm off then. You two carry on."

Tsunade and Kushina both nodded, watching his back disappear at the end of the corridor.

"I haven't had a proper look at Konoha yet; finally, I can wander around on my own."

Lin Zi shoved his hands into his pockets, his black ponytail swinging behind his head as he strolled leisurely along the stone path.

Along the way, villagers and ninjas would scatter to both sides the moment they caught sight of his deathly pale face. A woman carrying a child even covered the kid's mouth and dragged them into an alleyway in a panic.

Lin Zi glanced at the fleeing figures and clicked his tongue.

"Am I really that scary?"

He couldn't be bothered to dwell on it and continued his stroll.

After turning two corners and passing through a stretch of ruins still under reconstruction, the path ahead suddenly sloped upward. The smell of dust in the air faded, replaced by the damp scent of grass and soil.

Looking up, he saw a wooden sign engraved with a few characters.

Hero Cemetery.

"Oh, so I ended up here."

Lin Zi's footsteps faltered, his snake-like pupils narrowing slightly.

He had intended to turn around and leave, but his peripheral vision caught a white-haired boy standing deep within the cemetery. The figure was thin and stood with his back to him, his silver hair tousled by the wind.

That was Hatake Kakashi.

Lin Zi tilted his head, a hint of amusement flashing in his golden slit pupils.

Although he knew why Kakashi would be here, he still walked over with a playful intent to tease.

He lightened his footsteps, sliding along the cemetery's bluestone path like a prowling snake, his soles making a faint rustling sound against the fallen leaves.

Kakashi was standing before a tombstone, clutching a bouquet of white wild chrysanthemums in his hand, the petals trembling slightly in the breeze.

He kept his head bowed, his one visible dead-fish eye half-lidded, his entire being as still as a stone.

"Yo, kid of the Hatake clan."